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<title>Four Times Ryuunosuke and Chiaki Didn't Understand Each Other and One They Did by ao_no_senshi, oneatatime</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26644027">Four Times Ryuunosuke and Chiaki Didn't Understand Each Other and One They Did</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ao_no_senshi/pseuds/ao_no_senshi'>ao_no_senshi</a>, <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/oneatatime/pseuds/oneatatime'>oneatatime</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Samurai Sentai Shinkenger</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Episode Tag, Humor, M/M, Misunderstandings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:14:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,647</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26644027</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ao_no_senshi/pseuds/ao_no_senshi, https://archiveofourown.org/users/oneatatime/pseuds/oneatatime</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>*points at title* Self-explanatory, really.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ikenami Ryuunosuke &amp; Tani Chiaki, Ikenami Ryuunosuke/Tani Chiaki</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Four Times Ryuunosuke and Chiaki Didn't Understand Each Other and One They Did</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>1.</p>
<p>Ryuunosuke hummed under his breath as he walked past the kitchen, his footsteps timed perfectly to the rhythm of his humming. It was a bracing martial theme from the sixteenth century, one best performed with shamisen and war drums, and not by a lone pitiful human voice. But oh, if one had the right imagination-! He could picture it perfectly, the two actors on stage, enacting one of the popular (but banned) love suicide plays…</p>
<p>Wait.</p>
<p>Wait, what was that?</p>
<p>He stepped back, eyebrows drawing down together over his nose.</p>
<p>Chiaki, touching the toaster! Eyes blank! Hair sticking up ridiculously into the air! Spasming as if he were being tickled mercilessly!</p>
<p>Or –</p>
<p>
  <i>Electrocuted.</i>
</p>
<p>Most things were in good repair in the Shiba household, under Jii’s control. However, appliances could malfunction! Must break the current without getting caught himself! Screaming, Ryuunosuke charged across the room, shoulder low, and tackled him at stomach height.</p>
<p>They flew backwards into the fridge, then crashed to the tiled floor. Chiaki’s little body was warm under his.</p>
<p>“Chiaki! It’s me! Ryuunosuke! Are you all right! That twitching looked quite painful! That was far too much current for human safety! It might change your hair permanently!”</p>
<p>Chiaki groaned, lifting a hand to the back of his head. He looked at Ryuunosuke blearily, then did a double take as his eyes focused on Ryuunosuke’s.</p>
<p>He shook his head, mild irritation on his face, then started laughing as he tugged at the – at the –</p>
<p><i>At the headphones in his ear.</i> He lifted his phone out of his pocket, and showed Ryuunosuke the screen. Where it explained that he was listening to music by some group called ‘Velvet Yap’.</p>
<p>
  <span class="small">Oh.</span>
</p>
<p>Ryuunosuke moved back, offering him a hand and the most profusest of apologies. “I had thought your life to be in danger. I’m so very sorry!”</p>
<p>“It’s okay, man. Nothing’s damaged permanently,” Chiaki said as he and Ryuunosuke pulled him to his feet. He rubbed at one hip, then tilted his head. “Hang on – what’d you say about my hair?”</p>
<p>2.</p>
<p>“We must be warriors! We must all work together!”</p>
<p>Mako nodded sympathetically, and sipped at her water. It was best sometimes to just let Ryuunosuke go, when he was in a mood like this. They’d get back to training in a minute (and, well, if he reached her annoyingness threshold before that, she’d make him be quiet and start training again). It was their turn just now, along with Kotoha, who was refusing a break. Kotoha smacked her training dummy another five times in quick succession.</p>
<p>Mako continued to listen to Ryuunosuke rant.</p>
<p>Chiaki was out shopping, after a ridiculous argument with Ryuunosuke because Chiaki hadn’t trained yet today, which had resulted in Takeru telling everyone shortly that they needed vegetables for dinner and Chiaki could go, and could make it up later. Chiaki had helped by then sticking his tongue out at Ryuunosuke.</p>
<p>Takeru was in discussions elsewhere with Jii, but Mako wasn’t naïve enough to think that Takeru would do no training today. Their ‘tono’ (she rolled her eyes inwardly, but not as much as she might’ve, a few months ago – Takeru had melted somewhat, and she’d melted somewhat towards him, too) was dedicated to the point of completely ignoring any personal needs he might have. He would always do at least as much work as he expected from the four of them.</p>
<p>“It is painful in more than one way – ha – when one does not work as well as the others!”</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Chiaki handed over the bags to the kuroko with a smile. Yeah, he’d wanted to get out of training, but mostly he’d just wanted half an hour to himself, and he wasn’t <i>entirely</i> against Jii’s philosophy of the retainers helping now and then with every aspect of life in the Shiba household. He’d found himself unexpectedly pleased to learn more about how he fit in.</p>
<p>Also, he liked broccoli, and there was one special dish they were gonna have tonight with broccoli and peanut sauce…</p>
<p>He whistled as he headed out the back to training. He was in street clothes, jeans and a white and green t-shirt, but it should be okay, right? He could move well enough. Better to get there quick than to worry about changing. Then he heard Ryuunosuke’s voice.</p>
<p>“There must be teamwork! One failing is not acceptable!”</p>
<p>So much for THAT idea. Face like a thundercloud, Chiaki stormed back to his room.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Footsteps. <i>Angry</i> footsteps. Mako looked at Ryuunosuke, then at Kotoha, then at Ryuunosuke again.</p>
<p>She sprang to her feet and bolted.</p>
<p>“Chiaki! He’s going to the dentist! He has a <i>toothache!</i>”</p>
<p>3.</p>
<p>In the training grounds of the Shiba mansion, Ryuunosuke knelt. Footsteps approached and he didn't need to open his eyes to know who it was, he knew only too well who it would be. The footsteps paused and Ryuunosuke counted the breaths before the words.</p>
<p>"<em>What</em> are you doing?"</p>
<p>Chiaki was aggravated, that much was obvious. As he had every right to be. Ryuunosuke had failed him today, badly.</p>
<p>"Reflecting," was the simple reply, because truly, what else could he do?</p>
<p>"Seriously? I already said it's fine, you don't haveta do this you know."</p>
<p>"I do."</p>
<p>A moment of silence, followed by a still aggravatated huff. "Fine. Have it your way."</p>
<p>Chiaki did not understand, that much was clear, but Ryuunsouke didn't have the words to explain and when he tried, Chiaki simply brushed it off like it was nothing. Ryuunosuke knew better, however. His faith in a teammate had been tested and found lacking: reflection was only natural, a necessary first step to make sure such a thing never happened again. How could he have believed the impostor to be Chiaki? Chiaki never refused to engage in battle, not when he thrived there more than in training. The erratic behaviour was likewise out of character and he had refused to see that, instead daring to bar him from the mansion when that was never his right. Tono had kept faith, Ryuunosuke was the one who was lacking. Even if Chiaki would not accept his apologies, he still needed to correct this behaviour. He would not be found wanting again.</p>
<p>4.</p>
<p>Laundry duty. Not Chiaki’s favourite time of the week, but not the worst, either (it was better than kanji practice, and unexpectedly the mansion had a pretty impressive washing machine). Until he found a bag in Ryuunosuke’s pocket –</p>
<p>Oh, no.</p>
<p>No, no, no, no, no.</p>
<p>He grimaced, put it aside, and threw those pants into the machine.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>Ryuunosuke settled the tie around his throat with a pleased hum. It was a present from Kotoha, and while he didn’t allow himself too much vanity usually, he had to admit that she’d made an <i>excellent</i> choice. He admired himself surreptitiously in the hallway mirror, a large, ornate, golden thing from the eighteenth century. Why surreptitious? There was no one around! He could surrep as much as he wanted to!</p>
<p>Then a skinny arm snaked out and grabbed him by the tie, jerking him into the tiny cloakroom.</p>
<p>“Ulp,” Ryuunosuke said helpfully, and then Chiaki made a face and loosened his grip on the tie.</p>
<p>“Sorry.”</p>
<p>“It’s fine,” Ryuunosuke said gently. His throat was only slightly injured. He turned to go.</p>
<p>“Wait!”</p>
<p>“For-“</p>
<p>“Ryuunosuke.”</p>
<p>“Ye-es?”</p>
<p>Chiaki twiddled his fingers together, then ran one hand back through the artful bush of his hair. He really was quite sweet, sometimes, Ryuunosuke decided. When he was all concerned and so forth. Ryuunosuke reminded himself to pay attention.</p>
<p>“Don’t do it, okay, Ryuunosuke? I had a friend who got into it, and he found everything really difficult. He lost track of everything.”</p>
<p>“It was too tight?” Ryuunosuke ventured, tugging at the fit of the tie again.</p>
<p>Chiaki frowned, then tried again. “He just wasn’t the same.”</p>
<p>“Look, Chiaki,” Ryuunosuke said, feeling himself beginning to fluster. He didn’t want to. He wanted to stay calmer, because he did actually care about the other. But really, what right did he have! They all cared about their looks at least a little, even if Chiaki obviously didn’t care about his own hair! “If I choose a smidge of vanity now and then, that’s up to me!”</p>
<p>He was quite pleased with himself for not including Kotoha’s name in that. She deserved his loyalty. She was only trying to be nice to him.</p>
<p>“How is it vain to smoke your life away!”</p>
<p>“Smoke-?”</p>
<p>Ryuunosuke stared at Chiaki. Chiaki stared at Ryuunosuke. Then he produced a bag from his pocket, somehow. Those jeans had looked far too tight. “This.”</p>
<p>Ryuunosuke clasped his hands together with utter delight. “The specialty cooking herbs I purchased to add to Tono’s special birthday dumplings, with the special sauce!”</p>
<p>“…not marijuana?”</p>
<p>“Not marijuana.” He reached out to pat Chiaki’s shoulder.</p>
<p>5.</p>
<p>As they stared, helpless to prevent their teammates falling into a trap, Ryuunosuke didn't need to see the look on Chiaki's face to know the resolve was there, that finally they were on the same path again. Truly, Tono had been correct in saying they weren't trying to work together and that was a charge laid at both their feet: he had not been attempting that anymore than Chiaki had. Now, though, their will and determination were united once more: they would see the Wraith destroyed, release themselves from this bondage and their teammates from their own trap. He could fight at Chiaki's level easily enough, but he didn't have Chiaki's creative thinking, the thing that made him so effective in battle, and it was that thinking they needed now, not the higher abilities of Ryuunosuke's more honed skills. Chiaki was holding out a hand to him and Ryuunosuke smiled as he took it: the Wraith wouldn't know what hit it and it would regret underestimating Ikenami Ryuunosuke and Tani Chiaki in the moments before it perished.</p>
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